title: Predicting planning performance from structural connectivity between left and right mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: moderating effects of age during postadolescence and midadulthood.
abstract: Complex cognitive abilities such as planning are known to critically rely on activity of bilateral mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (mid-dlPFC). However, the functional relevance of the structural connectivity between left and right mid-dlPFC is yet unknown. Here, we applied global tractography to derive streamline counts as estimates of the structural connectivity between mid-dlPFC homologs and related it to planning performance in the Tower of London task across early to midadulthood, assuming a moderating effect of age. Multiple regression analyses with interaction effects revealed that streamline counts between left and right mid-dlPFC were negatively associated with planning performance specifically in early postadolescence. From the fourth life decade on, there was a trend for a reversed, positive association. These differential findings were corroborated by converging results from fractional anisotropy and white-matter density estimates in the genu of the corpus callosum where fibers connecting mid-dlPFC homologs traversed. Moreover, the results for streamline counts were regionally specific, marking the strength of mid-dlPFC connectivity as critical in predicting interindividual differences in planning performance across different stages of adulthood. Taken together, present findings provide first evidence for nonadditive effects of age on the relation between complex cognitive abilities and the structural connectivity of mid-dlPFC homologs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg Brain Imaging Center BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence.
authors.forename: Christoph P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kaller
authors.affiliation: Freiburg Brain Imaging Center Medical Physics, Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Freiburg.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reisert
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg Brain Imaging Center.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katzev
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg Brain Imaging Center.
authors.forename: Roza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Umarova
authors.affiliation: Freiburg Brain Imaging Center Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mader
authors.affiliation: Freiburg Brain Imaging Center BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence Medical Physics, Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Freiburg.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg Brain Imaging Center BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence.
authors.forename: Cornelius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weiller
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg Brain Imaging Center.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Köstering
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016880:Anisotropy; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013850:Thinking; D066127:White Matter / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology
keywords: age effects; diffusion tensor imaging; global tracking; mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; planning ability